


let's start the new year right.

by pyroallerdyce



Series: i refuse to admit there was a beach divorce (aka all my charles/erik fics) [81]
Category: X-Men (Movieverse)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe – Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe – Modern Setting, Alternate Universe – Modern: No Powers, Alternate Universe – No Powers, December writing challenge, Developing Relationship, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Getting Together, Inspired by Music, M/M, Male Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, New Year's Eve, New Year's Kiss, Pre-Relationship, Relationship(s), Short Story, Wordcount: 5.000-15.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-27
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:21:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21981304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pyroallerdyce/pseuds/pyroallerdyce
Summary: Let's start the new year rightTwelve o'clock tonightWhen they dim the lightLet's beginKissing the old year outKissing the new year inLet's watch the old year dieWith a fond good-byeAnd our hopes as highAs a kiteHow can our love go wrong ifWe start the new year right?or: Remy and Marie are having a New Year's Eve party and Charles uses the opportunity tofinallyask Erik out.  Erik has bad memories associated with New Year's Eve and so he turns him down, but Charles isn't deterred.  Meanwhile, John and Bobby are in love with each other but neither knows it.  When the girls set them both up with blind dates for the party, they say they're going to be open-minded about them.  What they don't know is that their blind dates are each other.
Relationships: Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier, John Allerdyce/Bobby Drake, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: i refuse to admit there was a beach divorce (aka all my charles/erik fics) [81]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1202509
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9
Collections: December Writing Challenge - 2019





	1. december 26th.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy New Year from the artist formerly known as porcelainsimplicity. 'tis still me, just a different username. (and this is the last time I'm putting this reminder up, I promise.)
> 
> This is a six-part New Year's story that is the completion of my December writing challenge. While the first twenty-five days were all prompt-based, this one is from my own imagination. I hope that you enjoy.
> 
> Title song: Let's Start the New Year Right by Bing Crosby

From the first day that Charles had opened the café, he'd employed students from the local university. There had been a lot that rotated through as the years went on, but none of them had really made a lasting impression and none of them had stayed very long. He had always figured that it was just a fact of life, that these students needed something temporary until they could move on to something permanent, and that they were entirely too wrapped up in their studies to try to make any lasting friendships at this job.

And then they came in.

John, Bobby, Jubilee, Kitty, Piotr, Marie, and Remy had known each other for about a month when they started coming to the café to study and eat at the same time. Charles thought it was nice to see a big group come in and push a bunch of tables together when it first started, but when it kept happening, he made it a point to go over there and introduce himself. It wasn't long until at least one of the seven of them was in the café every night, and when Charles overheard John talking about how he really needed a job, he'd offered him one. John was the first of them to work there, but eventually, all of them had at one point in time or another. 

When graduation approached, Charles was pretty sad that they would all be moving on with their lives and stop coming in, but all that happened was that their nightly study sessions turned into weekly dinners on Saturday night. Charles was happy to consider them friends, and they were happy to consider him a friend in return. They were the first group of students that Charles had ever really connected with, and they would always be special to him because of that.

Erik felt the same way. He was the café's manager and had been the one to figure out where to put each one of them when Charles had offered them a job. He'd bonded the most with John over some shared life experiences, and he always found his day better when John was around. He didn't realize he'd needed a friend like John until he'd come into his life, and he had felt completely understood when John had told him the same thing. He knew that the day would come when John would move on from his job at the café, but he also knew that their friendship wouldn't end. 

And it wasn't like his friendship with John was the only one he was sure of continuing. He thought that about all of them. He played pickup basketball with Bobby and Piotr on Saturday mornings, and he spent some of the nights he wasn't working going to small clubs to listen to indie bands with Jubilee and Kitty, and when he was invited to be an usher at Remy and Marie's wedding, he'd felt incredibly honored. 

Somewhere along the way, their group of seven had turned into a group of nine, and none of them would have it any other way.

But the seven of them were all waiting patiently for Charles or Erik to finally make a move on the other.

It was obvious to each one of them that Charles and Erik were insanely attracted to each other, and the girls spent many hours trying to devise a plan that would get them to admit that. None of the plans ever worked though, and it was five frustrating years later and they were both still clueless. They had all almost given up hope on it ever happening.

And then December 26th came. 

Remy had invited both Charles and Erik to their New Year's Eve party when he'd been in the café to pick up some sweets for Christmas Day, and Charles had immediately accepted. Erik hadn't been in the café at the time, and Charles said he would pass the invitation along. But as he watched Erik get ready to open the café on the day after Christmas, he decided that he would pass along the invitation in an entirely different way than the way Remy had.

Charles was going to ask Erik to be his date to the party.

He tried to work up the courage to ask him all morning, but every time he thought he was ready to, someone or something needed either his or Erik's attention, and the moment was lost. By the time Bobby came in for his afternoon shift, Charles was beyond frustrated with himself and his café. 

Bobby picked up on it instantly, and as soon as Erik had left for lunch, he turned to Charles with a curious expression on his face. “What is it?”

“What is what?”

“What is going on with you and Erik?” Bobby asked as though Charles should have known that. “It's extremely obvious that something is up.”

Charles sighed heavily and slumped against the counter, running his hands over his face. “Fuck, that means Erik has probably noticed.”

“Noticed what?”

Charles took a deep breath and looked up at Bobby. “Remy came in right before Christmas and invited Erik and me to the New Year's Eve party he and Marie are having. I was the only one here at the time so I said I'd pass the invitation along to Erik, and I decided that I would do that by asking him if he would like to go to the party with me.”

“Like as a date?”

“Yes, like as a date,” Charles said, groaning. “This is such a spectacularly stupid idea.”

“Finally!” Bobby exclaimed. “We've waited five years for this.”

“What?”

“Oh come on, you two are insanely obvious. We're all shocked that you've never acted on your attraction to each other.”

Charles shook his head. “There is absolutely no way Erik is attracted to me, which is why this is an utterly horrific idea.”

“It is not! And trust me, he's totally into you, Charles. He'll definitely say yes.”

Charles took a deep breath. “Well, if you ever asked out John, he would definitely say yes too.”

Bobby shook his head. “No way. Johnny is my best friend and there's no way I'm ruining that. I need him too much.”

“That's fucking bullshit. You two are in love with each other. Do something about it already.”

“There is absolutely no way that Johnny is in love with me,” Bobby said, sighing. “If only. No, I need to accept that and move on, which is why I've let Kitty set me up with a blind date for Remy and Marie's party. At least this way I'll definitely have someone to kiss at midnight, even if I might never see them again. We'll see how it goes though. I promised to be open to it.”

“You're a fucking idiot, I hope you know that,” Charles said as the door opened and some customers walked in. “Tell John you love him already.”

“Ask Erik to go to the party already,” Bobby countered back as he walked towards the customers. “He'll totally say yes!”

Charles's thoughts on the matter were shoved to the side when a large group came into the café, and when it became obvious that Bobby wasn't going to be able to handle the crowd alone, Charles grabbed some menus and headed towards their table. Guess he had to play waiter that day too.

It was closing time before Charles let himself really think about asking Erik again, and when Erik was finishing up in the back, he took a deep breath and headed towards the office. Erik was in the middle of counting up money when he walked in, and he smiled at him when Erik looked up. “Good day?”

“Very good day, especially for the day after Christmas,” Erik said, stuffing some of the money into an envelope and reaching for another stack. “I think you might have recouped half of the Christmas bonuses you paid everyone already.”

“Excellent,” Charles said, sitting down in front of the desk and taking another deep breath. “So, what are you doing for New Year's Eve?”

“Absolutely nothing,” Erik said, concentrating on the money again. “New Year's Eve is such an incredibly overblown holiday. You stand around drinking until the moment when you can celebrate what time it is. It's stupid and pointless.”

Charles took another deep breath to calm his nerves. “Well, Remy and Marie are having a New Year's Eve party and they invited both of us, so I was thinking that we should go together.”

Erik didn't even look up. “I'm grateful for the invitation but I'm just not someone who parties on New Year's Eve. So if you see Remy or Marie before I do, politely decline the invitation for me. You go and have a great time though.”

Charles bit back the disappointment and tried again. “You won't even go even to go with me?”

“I told you, it's not my thing,” Erik said, stuffing the money he was counting into the envelope and zipping it up. “I'll run this by the bank in the morning before I come in. Or do you need me here at open?”

Charles felt deflated as he realized that Erik really was saying no. “No,” he got out. “I can open on my own.”

“Excellent,” Erik said, standing up and reaching for his coat. “I will see you tomorrow then.”

Charles nodded and Erik walked out of the office, and a few moments later he heard him leave altogether. He sat there for a while before pulling out his phone and sending Bobby a quick text.

_Asked Erik and he said no. I knew he wasn't attracted to me like that._

Charles got a response almost immediately.

_Keep asking him. He's definitely attracted to you. Maybe he just didn't realize what you were asking. Try a different tactic and ask him again tomorrow._

Charles stared at the message for a bit before replying.

_Alright, I'll try again tomorrow. But you have to tell John how you feel about him._

He laughed when he read the response.

_There is no motherfucking way that I'm telling John anything. But you're definitely asking Erik again or I'll quit._

Charles figured that it was an empty threat, but he was already down two employees and he really couldn't afford to lose another if Bobby was actually serious.

_Alright, I'll ask him again tomorrow. I still think you're an idiot though._

The response made him smile.

_Great. And you're an idiot too._

Charles stood up and reached for his coat, pulling it on and heading out into the main space. He did a quick glance at the room and made sure that everything was the way it was supposed to be, and then he walked out the door. As he turned and locked the door, he thought about what Bobby had said and tried to think of a different way to ask Erik to go to the party with him. He didn't have any clue how to do it differently. 

Maybe he'd ask Bobby for some pointers in the morning.


	2. december 27th.

John had just finished up with a customer when he overheard Charles and Erik behind him.

“Charles, I thank you again for the invitation, but I do not want to go to Remy and Marie's party, even if it was with you. I just find New Year's Eve so dull and tedious. It's not fun for me.”

John turned to look at him and he caught the flash of hurt across Charles's face before he hid it away, and he saw the forced smile that his boss gave Erik.

“Then I guess I'll be going by myself.”

Charles turned and went into the back as Erik came out into the front to stand next to John, and John just rolled his eyes. “You're an idiot.”

“What?” Erik asked, his eyes doing a sweep of the pastry case. “We need more cinnamon rolls up here. I'll get on that.”

“You're an idiot because you turned down Charles. I heard you did that yesterday too.”

“I do not celebrate New Year's Eve. I'm not going to go to some party that I'm not going to enjoy myself at. I don't even know why Remy invited me. I never go to their party.”

John shook his head. “That's not the part that you're an idiot about. It's the fact that Charles has asked you out twice and you've said no both times.”

“Charles has not asked me out,” Erik said seriously. “He has just been passing on Remy's invitation.”

“Sure, lie to yourself if that's what you want to do,” John said, turning his attention to an approaching customer. “You're only fucking up something that could be really good.”

Erik sighed as he walked into the back, heading into the kitchen and going to the bakery racks. He searched through it for some fresh cinnamon rolls before finding them, taking the sheet pan out to the counter. John had finished up with the customer by the time that he was back, and Erik picked up their conversation. “There is absolutely no way that Charles is attracted to me in any way, shape, or form. I would have figured that out by now if he was. So I really appreciate what you're trying to do, but you're dead wrong about this.”

“I am not wrong about this,” John countered back strongly. “You two have been incredibly obvious for years.”

“Well, so have you and Bobby,” Erik said, turning it back around on him. “There is absolutely nothing stopping you and Bobby from being happy with each other except your irrational fear that somehow telling him that you love him will make him cut you out of his life. Bobby would never do that to you and you know it.”

John sighed heavily. “It's not an irrational fear. It's a perfectly rational, logical fear. I'm not about to lose my best friend because I did something incredibly stupid and told him that I love him. No fucking way.”

“Well, my perfectly rational, logical thought is that Charles is not attracted to me. So if you're going to continue to be a coward, then I'm going to continue thinking the truth of the situation instead of this false hope you're trying to give me.”

“I am not giving you false hope!” John exclaimed. “Charles is super, super into you. I would not lie to you about that.”

Erik just gave John a look before putting the last cinnamon roll into the case. “That is exactly the kind of prank you would pull on me, John Allerdyce. I'm not falling for it.”

“This is not a prank!”

“I'm never going to believe that.”

John sighed heavily as Erik walked into the back, dealing with another customer before Erik returned. “Do I like to play pranks? Yes. Is this one of them? No. Charles is asking you out on a date, Erik, and you're being a stupid idiot and saying no.”

“He is not asking me out on a date,” Erik said firmly. “And while we're on the subject of dates for this party, you should just ask Bobby already. He would say yes.”

“No, he really wouldn't,” John said, running his hands over his face. “Jubilee set me up with a blind date for the party. She said it's time for me to actually look for someone to spend my life with instead of just pining after Bobby when I won't say a thing to him about it.”

Erik rolled his eyes. “You're an idiot. I don't know why it is you can't see that talking to Bobby about how you feel is something that would make your life a lot better instead of a lot worse.”

“I am not telling him,” John said seriously. “And you are the idiot for turning down Charles. When he asks you again, say yes.”

“I am not having this discussion anymore,” Erik said, walking away and leaving John there more than a little frustrated.

Marie came into the café then and John smiled at her as she approached the counter. “How is my favorite southern belle today?”

“I ain't ever gonna be comfortable with you callin' me that,” Marie said, shaking her head. “I came to get answers about whether or not Charles and Erik are gonna be at the party. Remy and I are tryin' to finalize everythin' that we're gonna need.”

“Charles is a definite yes, but Erik keeps saying he's not going,” John said, leaning forward and lowering his voice. “Charles keeps trying to get him to go to the party with him, and Erik stupidly keeps telling him no.”

Marie stared at him for a moment before a smile broke out on her face. “Charles finally asked him out?”

“He's asked him twice,” John confirmed. “And Erik is being a fucking moron and saying no.”

Marie sighed heavily. “I'll come in here with the girls tomorrow. See if we can talk some sense into him.”

“That would be much appreciated,” John said, drumming his fingers on the counter. “I hate it when it's slow in here.”

“I always hated that too,” Marie said, looking over at the pastry case. “But I came in to get some of those cinnamon rolls for us for tomorrow mornin'. Remy loves those more than life itself I think.”

John burst out laughing. “I don't know about that, but he definitely loves them. Erik just put out a fresh batch too.”

Marie smiled. “Perfect.”

“How many do you want?” John asked, moving towards where they kept boxes to put them in. 

“Four,” Marie said. “Remy ain't gonna wanna eat just one.”

“No, I suppose he wouldn't,” John said, opening up the case and reaching for the tongs. “How are the party preparations going?”

“They're goin' well. But now I dunno if I should include Erik or not.”

“Include him,” John said as he closed the box. “He'll say yes to Charles eventually. Right now, he's swearing that Charles isn't asking him on a date.”

“That's because he isn't,” Erik said from behind him, and John just shook his head again. “Shut the fuck up about this.”

“You are a clueless moron,” John muttered as he handed the box over to Marie. 

Erik ignored what John was saying and smiled at Marie. “How are you today, Marie?”

“Good. Just tryin' to get everythin' finalized for the party. Gonna count you in the final guest list.”

Erik sighed. “I am not going to this party. No offense, Marie.”

“Oh, I ain't offended 'cause you don't wanna come,” Marie said. “But I am gonna tell you that you're an idiot for turnin' down Charles.”

“Whatever,” Erik muttered, turning to go into the back. “I'll go get some more cinnamon rolls to replace those.”

John and Marie both sighed as Erik walked away. “I'm hoping Charles keeps asking him and that Erik eventually realizes what's happening,” John said. “Because if I was Charles right now, I'd be really fucking hurt that Erik keeps saying no.”

“Me too, darlin',” Marie said, handing over a credit card once John told her the total. “I hope that things get worked out. It's gonna feel weird havin' everyone but Erik there if Charles can't get him to come.”

“Yeah, it definitely will,” John murmured. “So, are you going to tell me more about this blind date?”

“I was just speakin' to him while I was on my way here,” Marie said with a smile. “He's very excited about this date.”

“That's not telling me anything about him.”

“He's incredibly kind,” Marie said after a moment. “He really enjoys a party, so you two should have a lot of fun. He's really lookin' forward to a kiss at midnight so you should be prepared to give him one. As for anythin' else, you're gonna have to discover it on New Year's Eve.”

John sighed heavily. “Fine. And I'll try to be enthusiastic on New Year's Eve and actually give this guy a chance.”

“You better,” Marie said, getting her credit card back and putting it away. “I will see you then, Johnny.”

“I'm looking forward to it.”

“You better be!” Marie called out as she walked away. “This is gonna be the best party we've ever thrown!”

“Can't wait!” John called back.

Charles walked out of the back a moment later and John could tell he was incredibly disappointed. “Ask him again.”

Charles gave John a confused look. “What?”

“Erik,” John said as though Charles should have known that. “Ask him again.”

“I don't think that there's any way that he's going to change his mind, so I don't think that is a very good idea.”

“Persistence, Charles. There are rewards for persistence. Erik going to the party with you will be one of them.”

Charles sighed heavily. “I think you're insane.”

“What is the harm in asking him again?” John asked. “You should ask him every day until New Year's Eve. If the answer remains no, then the answer remains no and you know to move on. But you need to have faith that your persistence will pay off.”

“I'll think about it,” Charles said as a big group of people came in. “Get back to work.”

“Don't think about it!” John called out as Charles walked away. “Just do it!”


	3. december 28th.

“This is totally going to work,” Jubilee said as they walked into the café. “I cannot see how this could possibly not work.”

“I hope you're right,” Kitty said as they walked towards the table that was informally theirs. “I'm really sick of them pining after each other.”

“Me too,” Marie added as she pulled out a chair and sat down. “So if this don't work, I dunno what we're gonna do next.”

“I completely agree,” Jubilee said as Charles approached the table with menus. “Are you playing waiter today, Charles?”

“Still down two employees so yep, I am,” Charles said, handing out menus. “At least while I'm doing this it's taking my mind off the fact that Erik rejected me.”

The girls all sighed. “Charles, you can't just give up,” Kitty said. “He'll come around.”

“That's what John and Bobby both said to me. I'm glad everyone is so sure of that. I certainly am not.”

“I'm with Kitty,” Marie said. “You gotta keep askin' him. Erik probably don't even realize what it is you're askin' him.”

“I think that's a good possibility,” Jubilee interjected. “I mean, I don't know how you've been going about this, but if you're not making it clear that you want it to be a date, I think that's half the reason he keeps saying no.”

Charles shook his head. “I'm not asking him again, so stop.”

“Fine,” Kitty said, sighing. “But you're being an idiot.”

“Do you have any idea about what you want to order?” Charles asked, completely ignoring what Kitty said. 

Jubilee rolled her eyes but gave Charles her order, and after a moment of perusing the menu, Kitty and Marie did the same. Charles thanked them and took the menus before walking away. “We've got to figure this out before it destroys any chance Charles and Erik have together,” Jubilee said. “If this party doesn't go right, we could be looking at two lost causes.”

“We're not going to let that happen,” Kitty said seriously. “I think the plan for Johnny and Bobby is a good one that is going to work. Now we need to get something in place for Charles and Erik.”

“We've gotta get Charles to ask Erik again,” Marie said. “He seems so despondent.”

“Yeah, we really do,” Jubilee said, smiling as Erik approached the table. “Erik! Brilliant. We were just talking about you.”

Kitty and Marie looked at Jubilee, but she just smiled as Erik reached them. “It's good to see you too, Jubes. What were you talking about?”

“About Remy and Marie's party and how happy we are that you're coming to it,” Jubilee said.

Erik just shook his head. “I'm not going to the party.”

“But Erik, you going with Charles would be so great,” Kitty said, smiling at him. “It's not going to be a real party unless it's all nine of us.”

“Yeah, you gotta come to the party with Charles,” Marie said. “It'll make it super fun.”

“Besides, you really don't want to miss what's going to happen with Johnny and Bobby,” Jubilee added. 

Erik became confused. “What do you mean? All I've heard is that John has a blind date.”

Kitty grinned. “Yep, he does.”

“So does Bobby,” Marie said.

“But what they don't know is that their blind dates are each other,” Jubilee finished. “It's a perfect plan and you have to be there to see what happens.”

Erik laughed loudly. “That is an absolutely marvelous plan.”

“Exactly,” Kitty said, smiling. “And that's why you need to be at the party. You need to see what happens.”

Erik sighed heavily. “I'll think about coming. But I make no promises. I really hate New Year's Eve.”

“Why?” Jubilee asked. “It's a super fun holiday. It's an excuse to party with your friends and get drunk. I take advantage of holidays like that.”

“I have some bad memories associated with New Year's Eve,” Erik said after a moment. “And I really would rather not ever think about those memories nor the person I was with that New Year's Eve ever again, and so, therefore, I avoid celebrating the holiday at all costs.”

“I can understand why ya would want to do that,” Marie said. “But it's still just a party at me and Remy's. The only difference between this one and our normal ones is that there will be some silly decorations and a countdown at midnight. That's it.”

Erik sighed again. “I said I would think about it, so I'll think about it. But right now I'm heavily leaning towards no.”

“That's a shame,” Jubilee said, shaking her head. “I know Charles would have a much better time if you went to it with him.”

“What is this obsession with trying to get me to go with Charles?” Erik asked. “I know how I would want to take it and I know how he really means it. It's not a date, it's never going to be a date, and I'd rather not go to a party with him that has an expected kiss at midnight when I know that I'm not going to get one.”

The girls all sighed. “You are really stupid sometimes, you know that?” Kitty finally said. “I cannot believe that you're this stupid.”

“Not stupid, Kitty. Just realistic.” Erik glanced behind him when he heard his name. “Work beckons. Excuse me.”

Erik walked away and Jubilee shook her head. “This is worse than I thought. Erik has a built-in reason not to go to the party.”

“We've got to somehow get Charles to make going to the party absolutely enticing,” Kitty said. “To the point where Erik feels like he'll really miss out on everything if he's not there.”

“I have no idea how to do that,” Marie replied. “I am at a complete loss.”

Charles walked back up to the table at that moment, setting their food in front of them. “Enjoy.”

“Charles, wait,” Jubilee said as he turned to leave. “We've got to let you in on the plan.”

“The plan?” Charles asked.

“Yes, the plan,” Kitty said, smiling at him. “And you can use this to try to get Erik to agree to come to the party.”

Marie grinned as she realized what they were doing. “I mean, after all, it only makes sense that you two are there for the aftermath of our brilliant matchmakin'.”

“Is this about John and Bobby's blind dates?” Charles asked. “Why on earth you guys set them up with blind dates when last I knew you were trying to develop another plan to get them to tell each other the truth, I don't know. It makes absolutely no sense to me.”

“That's because you don't know who the blind dates are,” Kitty said, beaming. “This is perfect.”

“Bobby's blind date is Johnny,” Marie said.

“And Johnny's blind date is Bobby,” Jubilee finished. “It's the pinnacle of a perfect plan.”

Charles broke out into laughter. “That's brilliant.”

“We thought so,” Jubilee said, reaching for her silverware. “So, you need to use this as bait.”

“Bait?”

“Convince Erik to come to the party with you if only to see the aftermath of our brilliant plan,” Kitty said.

“That is not why I want Erik to come to the party with me,” Charles said. “That is not what I want.”

“Ah, but once you establish that Erik is goin' to the party with you, you can progress from that and tell him that you'd like to consider it a date,” Marie said. “You'll hook him with the aftermath of our plan, and then you'll really grab him when you tell him that you want it to be a date. He'll totally be into that.”

“I really, really doubt that,” Charles said, sighing heavily. “You really think I should ask him again?”

“Yes,” the girls all said together.

“I suppose that I might be able to find a way to do this,” Charles murmured, looking over at Erik. “I just really want him to go to the party with me.”

Kitty nodded. “We know, Charles. And we're trying to help make sure that he does.”

Charles heard someone call his name and he smiled at them. “Enjoy your food, okay? I'll think about this some more.”

“Don't think!” Jubilee called out as he walked away. “Just do it!”

Charles spent the rest of the day thinking about the girls had said, and when it was just he and Erik left after the café closed, he walked into the office and took a deep breath. “Did the girls tell you about their brilliant plan today?”

“John and Bobby being each other's blind dates?” Erik said without looking up. “Yeah, they told me. It sounds like it might actually work this time.”

“You should come with me to the party and see if it does yourself,” Charles said, feeling his heart sink when Erik shook his head no. 

“I am not going to this party, Charles. New Year's Eve and I do not get along.”

“Fine,” Charles said, his voice strangled. “I'll stop asking you then. Finish close up for me, please. I need to get home early.”

Erik looked up at the sound of Charles's voice, but Charles walked out of the office before Erik could say a word. He sat there for a long time and thought about the tone of Charles's voice, and by the time he stood up and went out into the restaurant to finish things up, Erik had begun to suspect that he had Charles's intentions for this invitation entirely wrong.

But he had no idea what they really were.


	4. december 29th.

Erik waited until he was alone upfront with Bobby before he said anything. “So, what do you know about how Charles keeps asking me to go to Remy and Marie's party with him?”

Bobby just rolled his eyes. “I cannot believe this is so hard for you to figure out. I really can't.”

“I'm trying to figure it out,” Erik pointed out. “That's why I'm asking.”

“Then you can figure it out yourself.”

“Bobby, come on,” Erik said, ignoring the pleading tone of his voice. “Just tell me what you know.”

Bobby sighed heavily. “What do you want this invitation to be? A date?”

Erik stood there for a moment before nodding. “Yes, I'd really like for it to be a date.”

“And have you asked Charles if this would be a date?”

“No.”

“So why are you assuming that it's not one?” Bobby asked. “If you want to know if it would be a date, just ask him. If he says no, then you can just laugh it off. If he says yes, then you'll know that you're getting what you want. He'll say yes, by the way. It's quite clearly an invitation to go on a date to the party.”

Erik groaned and leaned up against the counter. “That's what John told me but I just can't believe it. I'd know by now if he was interested in me like that.”

“That's not necessarily a true statement,” Bobby said, leaning up against the counter next to him. “I mean, I've been in love with Johnny for ages and he's clueless about it.”

“You're an idiot for not just telling him that, you know.”

“Maybe, but it's not going to happen. What can happen, however, is you asking Charles if he means for this to be a date.”

Erik sighed. “I don't know that I want to know if it is or not. This holiday and I do not get along.”

“Bad memories?”

“You could say that.”

“I've got some pretty shitty New Year's Eve memories too,” Bobby said. “But you only will really get over what happened when you make some new ones. You shouldn't just avoid the entire holiday because you had a bad one once.”

Erik smiled at him. “Who gave you that wisdom?”

“Johnny,” Bobby said, shrugging. “He was present at my worst New Year's Eve ever and told me the next year that I just needed to learn how to enjoy it again. And he was right. I fucking love New Year's Eve now. It's a great holiday.”

“It's a pointless holiday.”

“You don't like celebrating that we've all survived another year?” Bobby asked. “Looking ahead and hoping that the next one will be even better?”

“I do that on my birthday.”

“Well, you can do it on New Year's Eve too,” Bobby said seriously. “There's no law that says it has to be done only on your birthday.”

“There's no law that says it has to be done on New Year's Eve either,” Erik countered back, making Bobby sigh.

“Are you really going to be this stubborn and cost yourself something that could potentially be really great?”

“You really think that I should ask Charles if he means this as a date?” Erik asked after a moment. “I mean, what if he doesn't? How would I ever explain that question to him?”

“You won't have to,” Bobby said firmly. “The seven of us have been waiting for five years for this moment to happen and you're fucking it up because of your stubbornness.”

“So you do know something about what Charles's intentions are.”

“No, I don't,” Bobby lied. “I'm just telling you what I think from observing the two of you. Charles could be asking you to go just as a friend. I don't know. I just think it's worth asking him about.”

Erik pushed himself off the counter and shook his head. “I don't know.”

“You'll never know unless you ask,” Bobby called out as Erik walked away. “Just ask!”

Charles came into the café at that moment and Bobby smiled as he made his way behind the counter. “Hey, boss.”

“Don't ever call me that again,” Charles laughed. “How're you today?”

“Getting nervous about this blind date,” Bobby said honestly. “Kitty is insistent that I'm really going to like him, but I just don't know. I promised that I'd keep an open mind, but it's really hard when it's Johnny that I really want.”

Charles thought about the girls' plan for a moment before deciding again that it was perfect. “You never know. You might really like this guy.”

“Maybe, but I know that I'm just going to be comparing him to John and that's not fair on him.”

“Everyone compares everyone they meet to someone they used to love,” Charles pointed out. “It's just the way that things go.”

“Used to love, sure. But I'm not at that stage yet, and I don't know that I'll ever be. I feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place and I have absolutely no idea how to get myself out of it.”

“Telling John would surely be a good way to do that.”

Bobby sighed heavily. “I'm not sure I'm ready for that though. 'Hey, Johnny, guess what? I love you!' Yeah, that would go over so well.”

“You'll never know until you do it,” Charles pointed out. 

“I know. And I just gave someone that advice so I'm being a hypocrite, I suppose.”

Charles shook his head. “I don't know about hypocrite. I just think you should follow your own advice.”

Bobby pushed himself away from the counter when some customers entered the café. “Maybe sometime in the new year I'll work up the nerve to do it. Maybe I'll really hit it off with the guy at the party and move on. Who knows what the new year will bring.”

“Think positively,” Charles said as Bobby walked past him.

“Ask Erik out again!

Charles stood there for a few moments before heading into the back and going into the office. He spent the rest of the day there catching up on a lot of work that he'd been putting off, and when Erik came in with the cash register's drawer to count up the money made that day, Charles was surprised that so much time had passed. “Good day?”

“I think it was a very good day,” Erik said, sitting down and putting the drawer in his lap. “We got really busy right before lunch and stayed that way until close.”

“That's great then,” Charles said, turning back to his paperwork. 

Erik watched him for a moment before starting to count up the money, and they worked in silence. Erik kept waiting for Charles to ask him again so that he could ask Charles what he meant by it, but Charles never did. When Erik was done with the money, he tried to drag things out as long as he could, but eventually, he got up and got ready to go home. “I'll see you tomorrow, Charles.”

“Have a good night, Erik,” Charles said, not looking up until Erik had left the office. 

He thought about getting up and going after him, asking him one last time, but he decided that was stupid. There was absolutely no way that he was going to get rejected again. He'd just take his feelings for Erik and get over it. 

Erik stood in front of the door, waiting to see if Charles would come to ask him to the party one more time. When Charles didn't come out of the office, Erik let himself out and locked the door behind him. If Charles was meaning for this invitation to be a date, surely he would have asked again. It wasn't until he was almost home that Erik realized that if Charles had meant the invitation to be a date, he'd probably given up asking because Erik had rejected him three times. Erik knew that if he'd asked someone out three times and been told no every time he would have given up too. 

Maybe he should offer the invitation himself. Make it clear that it's a date. Apologize for turning him down so many times. 

Maybe.


	5. december 30th.

“Did you ask him again last night?” was the first thing John said to Charles when he walked into the office, and Charles just shook his head.

“I'm done with being rejected, thank you very much.”

“Charles,” John said, sitting down across the desk from him. “Don't get so discouraged.”

“How can I not be?” Charles asked. “If you asked Bobby out three times and he said no, you'd give up. Why can't I give up?”

John silently cursed Erik. “That is an unfair comparison and you know it.”

“No, it's really not,” Charles said seriously. “If Bobby turned you down three times, you'd stop asking. Don't even try fucking telling me you wouldn't. Erik is obviously not interested in either me or the party and I have to accept that.”

“You two are both being stubborn idiots, I hope you realize that.”

“He is being nothing and neither am I,” Charles said, sighing. “He's just not interested, John. Why no one but me can accept that, I don't know. But I am trying to accept it and move on. What's that absolutely ludicrous saying that some people have? New year, new me? Whatever it is, that's me right now. 2020 will be the year of Charles moving on and finding someone to spend his life with. I'm so fucking sick and tired of being alone.”

“We're not accepting it because we know that he is interested,” John pointed out. “And whatever the stupid saying is, you're not going to have to move on from your feelings for Erik. You're going to get to express them and let them grow.”

“I don't know how much more they can grow, to be honest,” Charles said softly. “I've never felt like this about anyone, Johnny. And I don't know if I want to find someone to feel like this about after him. I just know that I'm going to have to.”

John silently cursed Erik again. “You're in love with him, aren't you?”

Charles sat there for a moment before nodding. “Yeah, I think I am.”

“Then that is all the more reason to ask him one more time. Come on, the party is tomorrow. Today is your last chance to ask. If the answer is still no, then you know what 2020 will look like for you. If it's finally a yes, then you'll get to have the 2020 you really want.”

“This is all very hypocritical of you, I hope you know that.”

“I know it is,” John sighed. “And I've been seriously considering telling him for the last couple of weeks. I just really don't want to ruin my friendship with Bobby. You know how important it is to me that I have a friend like him. I've never had friends like this before, but I've definitely never had a friend like him. I need that too much in my life to want to ruin it, but yet I think I might have to. The weight of this secret is becoming too much.”

“Well, maybe you'll tell him and get what you want,” Charles said, knowing that was what would happen. “Maybe it doesn't have to be so doom and gloom.”

“Maybe, but I don't think so,” John murmured. “Still think I'll probably end up doing it though. This secret has felt like an elephant is sitting on my chest lately. Maybe it's just the holidays or something, I don't know. This time of year is always hard for me and I just can't feel this pressure anymore. But maybe I should just take this blind date that Jubes is setting me up with and go for it. Have an actual relationship with someone else. Maybe that would just take the weight away because I'd have someone else to love instead of him.”

“Or, maybe you're just being an idiot who is looking for an excuse to not have to tell Bobby how you feel.”

“And maybe you're looking for excuses to not ask Erik out again.”

Charles felt his shoulders slump. “Three times, John. I've been rejected three times.”

“I know you have. But it might be fourth time lucky,” John pointed out. “And if it's not, then you don't ever have to ask him on a date again. But I'd at least ask one more time.”

Charles turned his attention to the paperwork on his desk. “I think it's time for your shift to start, don't you?”

“Do not think that I did not notice that abrupt change of subject,” John said as he stood up, walking over to clock in. “But I will go work now.”

“Thank you very much,” Charles said, and John shook his head as he walked out of the office.

It was a couple of busy hours later before John felt like he had a chance to breathe. Erik walked behind the counter then, and John could tell that Erik was contemplating something. “What is it?”

“What?”

“You know what.”

“I'm just thinking of doing something, that's all.” John crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Erik until he continued. “Do you think Charles was serious when he asked me to go to this party with him?”

“Of course I do,” John replied. “Why else would he have asked you three times?”

“I think I've been misreading his intentions,” Erik said quietly. “But I'm not sure if I want to find out that I'm wrong about that.”

John felt a bit of hope rise into his chest. “Misread his intentions how?”

Erik looked around for Charles before leaning closer to John and whispering. “I think he might have meant it as a date.”

John just rolled his eyes. “Of course he did, you idiot.”

“I'm not sure about that,” Erik started, but John just shook his head.

“If you haven't been able to tell that that's what he's been doing, I'm seriously worried about your social skills.”

“Fuck off,” Erik exclaimed before sighing. “I'm not sure that you're right. I'm not sure that I'm right. But I'm thinking about finding out.”

“So, what? You're just going to go into the office and ask Charles if he's been asking you on a date the whole time? The whole time during which you just flat out rejected him three times?”

Erik sighed heavily. “If he meant it as a date, I'm not sure he'd want to go on the date anymore after I've done that.”

“You're an idiot for not realizing it was a date sooner,” John said seriously. “Though I do think you might be right about him not wanting to go on a date anymore. I know that if I'd asked out someone and they'd rejected me three times that I certainly would have given up and decided to move on.”

“He's not going to ask me again, is he? I mean, he didn't ask yesterday.”

“No,” John said honestly, “I don't think he's going to ask you again. So what are you going to do about that? If your answer is to give up, then I'm going to kick you in the balls.”

Erik couldn't help the laugh that escaped him. “I'd like to see you try, Allerdyce.”

“I'm being fucking serious.”

Erik sighed again. “I think that maybe the way to go about this would be to ask him myself.”

John stared at him for a moment. “What?”

“If he's not going to ask me to go to the party, then I should ask him to go to the party. Right?”

John buried his head in his hands and groaned. “Why are you two such morons?”

Erik gave him a confused look. “You don't think I should ask him?”

“I think that if you ask him, you'll just make him think that you're joking,” John said seriously. “If I asked Bobby out and he turned me down three times, only for him to show up and ask me on the same fucking date that I'd proposed we go on, I'd think he was mocking me.”

Erik slumped down against the counter. “Then what am I supposed to do?”

“I think you should wait until after close and everyone else is gone, and then you two need to have a serious discussion about your relationship and this party.”

“We do not have a relationship,” Erik started, but John just shook his head.

“And you're never going to have one unless you fucking talk about this.” John looked behind himself when the door opened, sighing when a large group of people walked in. “Figure this the fuck out but know that if you two fuck this up, all of us are going to kill you.”

Erik nodded and walked into the back, passing by Charles's office and glancing inside to see Charles typing furiously. He thought about going in there at that moment and getting this figured out, but he decided that John was right. It was a conversation best left for when they were the only two there and couldn't be interrupted.

So, Erik waited till close. John was the last employee left, and he glared at Erik on his way out. “If I don't see you two together and kissing at midnight at this party tomorrow, I'm going to kill you both.”

Erik stood there for a moment after John walked out the door, then locked it and headed into the back. He went into the office and sat down across from Charles, waiting for the right moment to speak. But Charles didn't even acknowledge that he was in the room, and Erik started thinking about what John had said earlier. They needed to work this out before they really fucked everything up.

“Charles?” Erik said tentatively. “Can I talk to you about something?”

Charles barely glanced up at him before bringing his eyes back down to the paperwork he'd read six times already just to avoid having to look at Erik. “Make it quick and then close out and go home.”

Erik took a deep breath. “When you asked me to go to the party with you...”

“I stopped asking because you made it clear that you're not interested,” Charles said matter-of-factually. “I don't know why you're bringing it up again. It's not like I'm annoying you about it any longer.”

“I think that I misread your intentions while asking,” Erik got out, and Charles tightened his grip on the paperwork.

“Meaning?”

Erik paused for a moment before making himself speak. “Meaning that I think that you might have meant it as a date.”

Charles forced himself to count to ten in his head because this was the last conversation in the fucking world that he wanted to be having. “So what if I did? You're not interested.”

Erik swallowed hard. “I can see how it came across that way.”

Charles looked up at that. “You think? I finally worked up the nerve to do it and you just flat out rejected me three times in the most nonchalant way, not even thinking about it for a single second. How else was I supposed to take that, Erik?”

Erik dropped his eyes down to his hands. “I'm sorry.”

“Don't be,” Charles said, colder than he'd intended. “Just stop fucking around with me, okay? I'll get the fuck over this.”

“I don't want you to have to get over this,” Erik said quietly. “That means I'd have to get over it too.”

Charles closed his eyes. “Erik, I swear to fucking God, I am not in the mood for being lied to.”

“I'm not lying,” Erik said, taking another deep breath. “Look, I hate New Year's Eve because that's the day everything went down with Magda.”

Charles winced. “That was New Year's Eve?”

“Yes,” Erik said, nodding. “That's why I turned you down so dismissively. I just wanted nothing to do with the holiday. But talking with Bobby yesterday made me realize that perhaps the way to start enjoying New Year's Eve again is to make some new, happier memories of it. So I think that we should go to this party together, as a date, and make some new, happy memories for both of us.”

Charles opened his eyes and stared at Erik for a moment. “You think we should go to the party.”

“On a date,” Erik clarified. “I think we should go to the party on a date.”

Charles stared at him some more, and Erik was starting to panic when Charles broke out into a smile. “I'd really like that.”

Erik smiled back. “Then we have a date.”

Charles nodded and leaned back in his chair. “Remy said the party starts at nine, and since the café closes at seven tomorrow, that should leave plenty of time for both of us to go home and get ready, and then I'll come over to yours and we can head to the party together.”

“I'll come over to yours,” Erik said. “Your apartment is closer to theirs than mine is, and the trains are going to be a fucking nightmare tomorrow night. And it'll be much easier to just walk there than it will be to try to catch a taxi or get an Uber.”

“Good point,” Charles said, smiling. “Then whenever you're ready, just send me a text and let me know you're on your way. Once you're there, we'll head to the party.”

Erik grinned back at him. “Then we have a date.”

“Then we have a date,” Charles confirmed. “To be honest, I think we probably should have had a date at least a year ago.”

“Apparently everyone else has been waiting for this to happen since we met them,” Erik laughed. “So maybe that year should be more like five.”

Charles laughed as well. “Then it's a good thing we're going on one now.”

“Definitely. John threatened to kill both of us if we fucked this up.”

“I can totally see Johnny saying that. It's just up to us not to fuck it up then.”

Erik stood up. “Something tells me that we won't.”

“I think you're right about that,” Charles said, glancing around. “Money drawer?”

“Going to get it,” Erik said, heading towards the doorway. “I needed to talk to you about this first before I lost my nerve.”

“Then go get it so we can close out and go home. I've been here entirely too long today.”

Erik shook his head as he walked out of the office. “You didn't even open today! I did!”

Charles just smiled. They were going to go to the party together. They were going to go on a date. This was going to be amazing.


	6. december 31st.

**9:00 p.m.**

John reached Remy and Marie's building at the same time as Bobby, and they laughed. “How do we always manage to do this?” John asked. “We always show up at the same time.”

“I have no idea, but I'm sure we'll get laughed at again,” Bobby said, buzzing the apartment. “Remy, it's us, let us up.”

The door opened a moment later and they went inside, jogging up the stairs to Remy and Marie's apartment instead of taking the elevator. Remy was standing there with the door open when they got to it, shaking his head. “How the fuck the two of ya manage to do this every time is beyond me. You sure you ain't comin' here together and lyin' to the rest of us about it?”

“Swear it,” John and Bobby said at the same time, and Remy just shook his head some more.

“Come on in,” he drawled. “Food and drinks are where they normally are. Marie's still gettin' everythin' ready, but I'm sure she knows more about these dates of yours than I do.”

They went into the apartment and walked over to where Marie was arranging a table filled with silly hats and glasses to be worn by the guests. “Marie,” Bobby said as they approached. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank ya, Bobby,” Marie said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

“The most beautiful southern belle I've ever seen,” John said, getting a kiss on the cheek as well.

“One of these days, Johnny, you're gonna stop callin' me that, and I'm gonna like that day.”

“Just accept the compliment, Marie,” John said, perusing the table for a moment before picking out a silly hat and some glasses to wear. “So, who is introducing me to this date of mine?”

“Yeah, I need to know about my date too,” Bobby said, picking up a silly hat of his own.

“That is down to Jubes and Kitty,” Marie said, looking over at the door when someone buzzed the apartment again and noticing Remy headed to take care of it. “They know far more about this than I do.”

“Then I guess I'm waiting until Jubes is here,” John said.

“Let's get drinks while we wait,” Bobby said, and John nodded before walking off with him. 

Marie walked over to Remy as they headed towards the drinks table, and she leaned her head close to his. “This is gonna work, right? Because I dunno what we're gonna do if it doesn't.”

“It's gotta,” Remy said, giving her a quick kiss before turning back to the door when there was a knock at it. “Now, let's greet our guests, mon cherie.”

**10:00 p.m.**

Charles started talking to yet another person about the café and Erik looked around the room, trying to figure out if this was going to be his night, standing next to Charles while someone talked to him about the café. He quickly excused himself to get a drink and nodded when Charles asked him for another, making his way through the crowd towards the table that was serving as the bar. There were more people there than he'd thought would be, and his thoughts about getting to have some time alone with Charles were dwindling.

This party was shaping up to be entirely too much like that New Year's Eve with Magda had been.

Forcing thoughts of Magda from his mind, he reached the table and grabbed a glass, pouring himself some scotch before knocking it back. He brought his glass down to find John standing there looking at him, a smug look on his face. “Yes,” Erik groaned, “you were right.”

“Thank you for admitting that,” John said, grinning as he plucked the bottle of whiskey up. “How's it going?”

“It would be going a lot better if we didn't get stopped every ten seconds by someone wanting to talk about the café,” Erik muttered. “So far all that's happened is a lot of talking to people that used to work there. And it's not that I am not happy to see some of them again, it's just that I thought this night was going to go much differently.”

“So make it go differently,” John said, pouring himself some and filling Erik's glass up with scotch again as well. “Tell Charles that you want to spend time talking to him, not everyone else. Drag him onto the dance floor and have fun.”

Erik knocked back his glass again. “You're one to talk. Where's this blind date of yours? Ditched him already?”

“My blind date has not yet shown up, according to Jubes. Neither has Bobby's. We've sort of just been hanging out in the corner together, waiting for them to get here.”

Erik bit back a smile as the thought of who those blind dates really were went through his head. “Well, hopefully, they're just running late. You deserve to have a good time tonight.”

“If neither of them shows,” John said very quietly, “then I'm probably going to tell Bobby the truth.”

Erik's eyes widened. “What?” he finally got out.

“I don't want to start the new year with this secret,” John said, knocking back his drink and pouring himself another. “I was going to wait until after this was over since the girls already got us these dates and then tell him in a week or two, but if these dates don't show up, well, why wait a week or two? Start the new year by telling the truth instead of continuing to live a lie, and deal with the loss of my best friend instead.”

“Johnny, if you think Bobby is going to react like that, then I don't think you know Bobby very well.”

“It's just as likely that he'll freak out as it is that he won't, and I'm much less prepared for the freak out than I am for things staying relatively okay, so that's what I've been concentrating on. But right now, it's fifty-fifty as to what will happen when he turns me down.”

“It's also fifty-fifty that he will not turn you down, so don't even go too far down that road,” Erik warned. “Thinking it will go wrong might make it actually go wrong.”

“Good point,” John said, reaching for another glass and filling it with vodka. “I'm going to take this back to Bobby and then try to see if Jubes knows where this guy is.”

Erik nodded as John walked away, pouring himself another drink and getting one for Charles as well. When he made his way back over to Charles, he was miraculously standing alone, and Charles smiled when Erik handed over his drink. “Scotch as requested.”

“Thank you very much,” Charles said, taking a long sip. “I am really glad to see some of these people. It's been a while.”

“Yes,” Erik said, forcing himself to take a very long sip of his drink to keep from saying anything else.

“I just wish they would leave us alone,” Charles finished. “I didn't come here to catch up with old employees of mine.”

Erik broke out into a smile. “I wish they would leave us alone too.”

Charles smiled back at him. “Then how about we go to that corner over there,” he said, pointing, “and enjoy our date.”

“I like that idea a lot,” Erik said, holding out his arm in that direction. “After you.”

**11:00 p.m.**

“This absolutely sucks,” Bobby said, collapsing into his chair and handing the glass over to John. “Why go to all of the trouble to set us up with these blind dates if the dates aren't even going to show up?”

“Fuck if I know,” John said, taking a long sip. “Bourbon?”

“Whiskey's gone and I couldn't find Remy or Marie to see where there is a new bottle.”

John sighed. “I suppose bourbon will do.”

Bobby laughed. “You are addicted to whiskey.”

“Right now I'm addicted to whatever will get me drunk, and if that's bourbon, then that's bourbon,” John said, taking another sip. “I just prefer whiskey.”

“Well, maybe by the time you need more, there will be more whiskey.”

“Let's hope,” John said, slumping down in his chair. “I'm going to kill the girls for this tomorrow. I hope you'll join me.”

“With great pleasure,” Bobby said, sighing. “I really don't know why they did this to us. It's like they wanted to ruin our nights.”

“They're trying to be helpful,” John said after a minute. “They've been so frustrated with both of us recently. I've heard from Jubes for months about how I need a boyfriend already.”

“I've been hearing the same from Kitty. Marie's said her piece too.”

“Definitely. They've even had Piotr and Remy in on it. About the only person I've been able to have a conversation with that hasn't been pushing me to find a boyfriend has been Erik, and he's been pretty goddamn oblivious to pretty much everything for the last month.”

“I heard that has something to do with Magda.”

“Yeah, it does, and I'm just glad that he's gotten over it enough to be here tonight with Charles,” John said, taking another sip. “I told him I was going to kill both of them if they fucked this up.”

“Well, hopefully, he'll make some really good memories tonight to replace the bad ones because I cannot imagine any memories of Magda from around this time of year are very good ones.”

“No, they most certainly are not,” John said, looking over at Bobby. “I'm glad that it's both of our dates that didn't show up instead of just one of ours. At least this way we can hang out with each other.”

“True,” Bobby said, taking a long sip from his drink. “I still want to know what happened to this date though.”

“You and me both.”

“Split up and find the girls? You with Jubes and me with Kitty? Then we'll meet back up and tell each other what happened.”

“Deal.”

**11:15 p.m.**

“I'm really enjoying tonight, Erik,” Charles said, smiling at him. “Even if we do keep getting interrupted.”

Erik smiled back. “It's alright. There are a lot of people here that we haven't seen in a while.”

“So, the fact that we keep getting interrupted has got me thinking that maybe we should do this again some night when we won't be constantly interrupted,” Charles said, taking a very long sip of his drink before continuing. “You know, like dinner somewhere that isn't the café. That isn't anywhere near the café.”

Erik's smile got wider. “I think that's a great idea.”

Charles felt relief flow through him. “Oh good, because I was really concerned that this was going to be a this night only sort of thing, and I really want it to be more than that.”

“Charles,” Erik said softly, “this is more than just a one-night thing to me. I promise.”

“I just...I wasn't sure...and then you said that it was this night with Magda...and I worried that maybe I was just an attempt to erase those memories, and...”

Erik decided the best way to shut Charles up was to kiss him, so that's what he did. Charles nearly dropped the glass in his hand before regaining his grip, and he wound his free arm around Erik's neck and pulled him closer. They both were grinning when they broke apart, and Erik took a deep breath. “I know that it's not midnight yet, but I hope that was alright.”

“That was perfectly fine,” Charles said, drawing him close again. “I think we can do better at midnight though.”

“Is that so?” Erik asked playfully, taking the glasses out of both their hands and setting them down on the shelf in the alcove they were standing in. “Then I think maybe we should practice for midnight.”

Charles just pulled him into another kiss.

**11:45 p.m.**

John finally reached Jubilee after being stopped by several people, and he grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her away from the conversation she'd been in the middle of. “What the fuck, John? I was talking to him!”

“I don't give a fuck right now,” John practically growled, dragging her into the kitchen. “Where the fuck is my date?”

“Oh, Johnny,” Jubilee said, shaking her head. 

“I am fucking serious,” John said firmly. “Why the fuck did you even set me up with a date if the date isn't even going to show up?”

Jubilee laughed. “Your date did show up, sweetie.”

“Then where the fuck is he? You should have introduced me to him hours ago because I certainly wasn't going to know that was him on my own!”

Jubilee laughed again. “Darling, you've spent all night talking to your blind date.”

John stood there for a moment before it sank in. “Bobby?”

“Of course. We had to get you two to stop being fucking idiots somehow.”

John blinked a couple of times. “So Bobby's blind date is me?”

“Yep,” Jubilee said, turning around and starting to open up the cabinets. “I'm glad you brought me in here. I've been dying for some of those cookies Remy's mother sent. I thought Marie was going to put them out for the party but I haven't seen them.”

“Fuck the cookies,” John exclaimed. “I never should have ever told you how I feel about him.”

“Of course you should have.”

“But you just went and told everyone!”

“Of course I did.”

“Then give me one really good reason as to why I shouldn't just call you a bitch and storm out of here right now.”

“Simple,” Jubilee said, letting out a cheer when she found the cookies. “You have been saying that you're going to tell him anyway, so this shouldn't really be a problem, and you're not the only one who has made an admission to someone. Why do you think this plan was hatched? This isn't a one-sided thing, honey.”

“What?” John got out as thoughts that Bobby might possibly feel the same way about him raced through his mind. 

“Just go talk to your blind date and find out,” Jubilee said, patting John on the arm and walking out of the kitchen.

John stood there for several minutes before realizing that he had to go talk to Bobby. But if Jubilee had been lying to him, then he really was going to go call her a bitch and storm out of there.

**11:50 p.m.**

Bobby finally spotted Kitty talking to Piotr over by the balcony and he walked over to her, smiling at Piotr. “Do you mind if I talk to Kitty alone for a moment?”

“Of course not,” Piotr said, smiling at them. “I'll go get you another drink, love.”

“Thank you, Piotr,” Kitty said, turning to Bobby with a curious look on her face. “What do you need, Bobby?”

“I need to know what happened to this blind date,” Bobby said seriously. “I said I'd do this, I got myself ready to meet someone new tonight, I promised I'd be open to it and everything, and he's never shown up.”

Kitty laughed. “Oh, Bobby. Really, haven't you figured this out by now?”

“Figured what out by now?”

Kitty smiled and put a hand on his arm. “You've spent all night talking to your blind date.”

“What?” Bobby started finding it harder to breathe as he realized that this meant John was his blind date and he was John's blind date and... “I should have never told you about this. Now my friendship with my best friend is about to be destroyed.”

“Bobby, honestly. We would not have done this if we thought things would be destroyed. Besides, you're not the only one who has admitted to things. It was just time that you and John finally did something about this, so we just gave you a little push.”

Bobby swallowed hard. “John has admitted to something?”

Kitty just shook her head. “Nope, that's not for me to tell. You two need to hear it from each other, not me.”

Bobby forced himself to take a deep breath as Piotr walked back up to them. “And I suppose everyone knows about this?”

“Of course,” Kitty said, accepting her glass from Piotr. “Bobby's currently freaking out about his blind date.”

“Jubes just told me John is doing the same thing, so I think you should probably go freak out together,” Piotr said. “I mean, it is getting close to midnight after all.”

Bobby glanced over at the clock and nodded. “Enjoy your midnight kiss because I'm definitely not getting one.”

“Have more faith than that!” Kitty called out as Bobby walked away. 

He had to go talk to John now, and this was going to be awkward as fuck and he was going to lose his best friend at the end of it, and he would never, ever forgive the girls for this. Ever.

**11:55 p.m.**

Charles looked up as Marie came towards him. “Marie. This is a wonderful party. We're having a great time.”

“I'm glad you're enjoyin' yourself,” she said. “Where'd Erik go?”

“To get us some more drinks,” Charles said, unable to keep the smile off his face. 

“And I can tell how well that's goin' just by the look on your face,” Marie said, smiling back. “We've all been waitin' for this for a long time.”

“Yes, well, I think both Erik and I have been waiting for it for a long time too.”

Marie leaned in close. “As far as your text from earlier today, the balcony is off-limits durin' the party but I've already talked to Remy about it and we'll let you two go out there for this.”

“Thank you very much, Marie,” Charles said, wrapping her in an embrace. “This means a lot to me.”

“I know it does, darlin',” Marie said, hearing her name from somewhere behind her. “I've gotta go. Just unlock the patio door and go on out there at any moment. There's a sign posted on it but just ignore that.”

Charles nodded and Marie walked away, only for Erik to come back moments later. “I hope that you thanked Marie for the party on my behalf.”

“Of course I did,” Charles said, reaching for his drink and then Erik's hand with his other. “Come on. Let's get our coats.”

“Our coats? Charles, it's not even midnight.”

“We're not leaving, Erik. We're just going outside.”

“No one is allowed on the balcony, Charles.”

“We are,” Charles said, grinning. “I talked to Remy and Marie about it. Now come on, let's get our coats.”

Erik sighed but let Charles pull him towards the room where they were stashed. “Alright, Charles, but I want to know what we're doing on the balcony.”

“You'll see.”

**11:59 p.m.**

Bobby took a deep breath as he approached John in the corner that had become theirs, knowing that this was about to be really, really awkward. “Hi, Johnny.”

“Hi, Bobby,” John answered without looking over at him, and all he could think about was how much he hated Jubilee for doing this to them. Sure, he'd been telling some people that he was thinking about telling Bobby, but deep down he knew that he never would have actually done it. 

Bobby swallowed hard and kept his eyes on the party in front of them. “So, um, I found Kitty.”

“I found Jubes too,” John said, immediately draining his drink because his throat felt so dry. “What did you find out?”

Bobby forced himself to breathe. “The same thing you did, I suspect.”

“I thought that might have been the case,” John said, and then they both fell silent.

When the call went out that it was a minute till midnight, John felt the weight of Jubilee's stare on him and he knew that she would kill him if he didn't take advantage of the situation he was in. He took a couple of deep breaths, thought about the way he was going to murder Jubilee, and then turned to face Bobby. “So, I kind of love you.”

“Kind of?” Bobby asked, looking over at him. 

“Well, not kind of, I just do,” John said, unable to decipher what was in Bobby's eyes. “I love you, I love you a lot, and this is going to make things really weird now and I know it, but I just had to tell you.”

John went to turn to face the party again, but Bobby caught him before he could. “You love me.”

John just nodded, unsure that he could say it again.

Bobby broke out into a large smile. “That's great.”

“It is?” John got out.

Bobby stepped closer to him and ran his fingers down the side of John's face. “I thought Kitty was just talking bullshit when she implied that you might feel the same way I do.”

John forced himself to breathe. “The same way?”

“I love you, Johnny. So, so much.”

John stared at Bobby for a moment before wrapping his arms around his waist and pulling him close. “And you're not lying to me to make me feel better?”

“I'd never lie to you, Johnny. Not about this. I was just scared of fucking up our friendship.”

“So was I,” John murmured. “But I think this will only make it better.”

Bobby went to speak but John pulled him into a kiss, and Bobby melted against him. As soon as they broke apart, they dove back in for another one, and neither of them even noticed when the call for the countdown to start went up.

**11:59 p.m.**

“Charles, it's freezing out here and the countdown is about to start,” Erik said, but Charles just wrapped his arms around Erik's waist and pulled him closer. 

“Is that better?”

Erik sighed. “Why did you bring me out here? And I mean really.”

“I wanted you to have a good memory of midnight,” Charles admitted. “And from everything that you've told me about what went down with Magda, I didn't think you'd have a very good one if we spent midnight in the middle of everyone. So I talked to Remy and Marie and they said we could come out here for midnight.”

_Ten!_

Erik smiled as he heard the countdown start inside and the screams from Times Square. “Just you and me at midnight, hm?”

_Nine!_

Charles nodded and pulled him closer.

_Eight!_

Erik grinned and wrapped his arms around Charles, bending down to press a kiss along his jaw.

_Seven!_

Charles shuddered against him as Erik trailed gentle kisses along his skin.

_Six!_

Erik hoped that Charles wasn't shuddering because of the cold.

_Five!_

Charles gasped as Erik bypassed his mouth and turned his attention to the other side of his jaw.

_Four!_

Erik's lips moved up and across Charles's cheek.

_Three!_

Charles smiled when he felt the kiss to the tip of his nose.

_Two!_

Erik brushed a couple of light kisses along Charles's other cheek.

_One!_

Erik pulled back to look in Charles's eyes, and he saw nothing but adoration in them.

_Happy New Year!_

Charles melted against him as Erik finally connected their lips, listening to the cheers from both in the apartment and outside. He smiled into the kiss when Erik's hands ran down his sides, and when they broke apart, he decided he'd never felt so good in his life.

“To 2020,” Erik murmured.

“To 2020,” Charles echoed. “May it be a good year for us.”

Erik grinned. “I think it will be.”

Charles grinned back. “Me too.”

**12:05 a.m.**

John and Bobby finally broke apart when they heard laughter, and they turned to find Jubilee, Kitty, and Marie standing there with grins on their faces. “Um,” Bobby started, but the girls just shook their heads.

“It's 'bout fuckin' time,” Marie said.

“We've been waiting for this day since freshman year,” Kitty added.

“Now don't fuck it up,” Jubilee finished.

The girls walked away before another word could be said, and John and Bobby turned back to each other. “So,” John said after a moment. “What do you want to do for the rest of the night?”

“I want to go back to your place and see what happens from there,” Bobby said, his eyes widening when he realized what he said. “Fuck, I'm so drunk. I didn't...I mean...”

John leaned forward and kissed him hard. “Don't apologize for saying that because it's what had been going through my mind too.”

Bobby grinned at him. “Then we should go then.”

“I think that I've never heard of a better idea in my life,” John murmured, but he pulled Bobby into another kiss. “We should pay our respects and go.”

“We should just go,” Bobby laughed. “I feel like we'd be yelled at if we tried to do that.”

John chuckled. “Good point. Then let's go get our coats.”

Bobby nodded and reached for John's hand. “Come on, Johnny. The sooner we get to your place, the better.”

**12:08 a.m.**

Charles shivered even though they were back inside, and Erik wrapped his arms around him. “Charles, you're not going to like what I have to say.”

“And what is that?” Charles asked, confused. He thought that things out on the balcony had gone well.

“Well, since you decided that the café should be open regular hours on New Year's Day,” Erik started, and Charles groaned.

“Fuck.”

“If I'm going to get any sleep at all before I have to be there, I am going to have to leave now.”

Charles sighed. “I am seriously regretting deciding to have the café open normal hours tomorrow.”

“Technically today.”

Charles slapped at Erik's shoulder. “Stop it with the semantics.”

Erik laughed. “Fine, I will. But I really do need to leave if I'm going to get some sleep.”

Charles nodded. “I know you're right. I just really don't want you to go.”

“You should stay, enjoy the rest of the party,” Erik said. “Don't leave just because I am.”

“I probably will stay for a while,” Charles said, taking a deep breath. “Thank you for coming to the party with me, Erik. I'm sorry that I didn't make the fact that it would be a date clearer sooner.”

“I'm just glad that we figured it out so that it could be one,” Erik said, kissing him. “I'm going to really enjoy the next phase of our relationship. I can just tell.”

“I am too,” Charles murmured. “And we have a dinner date to look forward to now.”

Erik grinned. “Let's plan that later today once you're at the café then.”

“I like the sound of that.”

“I'll talk to you in the morning, Charles.”

“I'll look forward to it.”

Erik walked away and Charles watched him head to the door, sighing when Erik left. He headed in the direction of where everyone had stashed their coats, laughing as John and Bobby came walking out of the room together. He wondered how the blind dates thing had gone for a moment before John grabbed Bobby and shoved him up against the wall, kissing him hard. Charles grinned as he watched them stumble towards the door, walking into the room and putting his coat down on the bed. 

Seems he wasn't the only one who had started the new year right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and thus comes to an end my december writing challenge. many thanks to everyone who read silently or left a comment, kudos, or bookmark. i really appreciate it beyond words.


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